Outfielder Lawrence Butler has secured a $65.5 million, seven-year contract with the Athletics, according to someone with first-hand knowledge of the negotiations. This marks another sizable investment by the team, which is gearing up to play three seasons at a minor league venue. The terms of the deal, initially reported by ESPN, include a team option for the 2032 season, potentially elevating the total worth of the contract to $81.5 million, with the possibility of reaching $87.5 million through performance escalators. The contract is pending a successful physical examination, as confirmed by the source who spoke under anonymity due to the contract not being finalized.
Butler’s contract features a $3 million signing bonus, scheduled to be disbursed over several dates: $1 million within 30 days following the contract’s approval by the commissioner’s office, another $1 million next January 15, and the final $1 million on January 15, 2027. His base salaries will scale over the course of the contract, starting at $2.25 million this year, increasing incrementally each year to reach $16 million in 2031. For 2032, the team holds an option priced at $20 million with a buyout clause of $4 million. Additional incentives include potential increases up to $6 million, contingent on Butler’s MVP voting finishes, ranging from $1 million to $2 million depending on ranking from 2029-31.
This agreement represents the second-largest guaranteed contract for a position player with 1-2 years of major league service, falling just short of third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes’s deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates valued at $70 million over eight years, which was announced in April 2022. Butler, drafted in the sixth round in 2018 and now 24 years old, began last season with a mere 53 days of major league experience. Despite starting the season on the Oakland roster, Butler was sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas on May 14 after posting a .179 batting average with seven runs batted in over 41 games. Following his return on June 18, he improved significantly, hitting .291 for the rest of the season, concluding with a .262 batting average, 22 home runs, and 18 stolen bases.
In the previous season, Butler earned $627,000 on a sliding-scale contract, which paid him a rate consistent with the $740,000 major league minimum when he was with the main roster and $121,826 while in the minors. He was set to qualify for salary arbitration following the 2026 season and could become a free agent after the 2029 World Series.
After ending three consecutive seasons with the lowest payroll across Major League Baseball, the Athletics are pivoting to aggressive spending ahead of the 2025 season. This campaign will kick off their tenure at West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, where they are slated to play for at least three years. Alongside Butler, the A’s have also inked deals with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and right-handed pitcher Luis Severino, amounting to $60 million over five years and a club-record $67 million over three years, respectively.
For the first time since the inception of the current collective bargaining agreement in 2022, the Athletics will receive full amounts as determined by the revenue sharing framework. If the team’s taxable payroll does not exceed 150% of its revenue-sharing receipts, any grievance concerning revenue-sharing violations would shift the burden of proof to the team, according to the union rules. Additionally, on Thursday, the Athletics announced their new team president, Marc Badain. Further information may emerge from the A’s during a scheduled news conference in Las Vegas, where the team is preparing to commence construction on their new ballpark come spring.
